Electric razor with reciprocating blade



July 24, 1951 F. J. KENT 2,561,870

ELECTRIC RAZOR WITH RECIPROCATING BLADE Filed Feb. 12, 1948 Fig. l

Frederick J. Kent INVENTOR.

Patented July 24, 1951 ELECTRIC RAZOR Wi'rrr REoIrRooA TING" BLADE. p p

Frederick J Kent, Glen Rock, N. J assignor, by mesne assignments, to Servo-Tek Products 00., Paterson, N. J a, corporation of New Jersey Application February 12, 1948, Serial No. 7,826

.4 Claims. (Cl. 30-45) This invention relates to electric safety razors of the type in which a razor blade is reciprocated in parallelism to its cutting edge.

Electric razors of this type are provided with razor blades which have to be held and guided accurately in order to avoid parasitic motions which would prevent a proper action of the device. The holding and guiding means however become easily clogged by the matter with which the razor comes into contact, and therefore reciprocation offers an increasing resistance, which when overcome leads to rapid wear of the guiding means with a consequent deterioration of the accuracy. The invention has for its general object to provide holding means which exclude clogging and wear between the relatively moving elements.

A further object of the inventionconsists in providing holding and supporting means for the movable reciprocating blade carrying assembly which are fixedly attachedto both the stationary and the reciprocating members.

A further object of the invention consists in providing resilient holding and supporting means for the reciprocating blade carrying assembly which are fixedly attached to the stationary and to the reciprocating member with surfaces substantially parallel to the direction of reciprocation and which are also holding the reciprocating members in engagement with the reciprocating impeller driven by the motor.

A further object of the invention consists in using a closed annular resilient support for guiding the reciprocating assembly and for holding it in engagement withthe reciprocatingimpeller of a motor, which resilient annular means will completely close the space between the stationary members and theblade carrying member to which it is attached and will therefore form a complete and perfect seal behind the cutting edges preventing the penetration or introduction of any fluid, solid or gaseous matter into the space occupied by the electric motor.

Further more specific objects will be apparent from the following detailed specification.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. It is to be understood however, that the embodiment shown is not the sole way of applying the principle of the invention. This embodiment is shown by way of example only for the purpose of explaining the invention and one of the preferred modes in which it is contemplated applying this principle. Modifications of the example shown are therefore not necessarily departures from the invention.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational sectional view of the electric safety razor showing a longitudinal section along the plane of symmetry.

Figure 2 is an elevational sectional view of the electric razor shown in Figure 1, showing a trans- Y sulating material, such.

. p 2 l versesection along a median planeof symmetry at right angle to the longitudinal plane of sym-' metry. J Figure 3 is an exploded isometric view of the razor.

Figure 4 is an elevational detail.

The electric razor, illustrated in Figures 1-3 is mounted on a handle 5 housing the electric drivingmotor for the blade which may be of any sectional view of a approved type and is not shown in the drawing:

An oscillating motor may be used, as the invention is not connected with the nature or type of the said motor. By way of example reference may be made for instance to my co-pending application Serial No. 9,180, filed February 18, 1948, which issued on August 1, 1950, as Patent 2,517,214, describing an improved type of oscillatory motor suitable for the driving of the razor blade.

For the purposes of the present invention, however, it is sufiicient to state that every such oscillatory motor, whether producing the oscillatory movement directly or indirectly is provided with an impeller 6 which is connected with the recipro cating parts of the electric razor.

The handle 5 which is, as a rule, made of inas plastics or the like, has a tubular extension I holding a tubular sleeve 8 projecting from the guard plate 9. The sleeve 8 fits snugly into the said extension and is cemented to it, so that the guard plate and the handle 5 form a unit.

The reciprocatingmembers comprise the blade holder plate In which is provided with a central hole II and with blade holding projections l2 entering the, slots l9 provided in the razor blade I5. This plate may have a curved central portion l3 if thin curved razor blades are to be held by it. This central portion is however surrounded by a flat edgev portion 14.

On this carrier plate the blade I 5 is secured by means of the retainer plate [6, which has a curved underside when used inconnection with a curved razor blade. This plate again, 'isprovided with l a central hole I! through which the threaded. stud 20 may pass. The stud binds the carrier plate, the razor blade and the retainer plate together. It projects from the base of a cup like ferrule 25, to which it isfirmly secured, and which turns its open side downwardly. Into this open side of the ferrule 25 the end 24 of the impeller 6 enters, thus imparting to the unit holding the blade the reciprocating motion, derived from the motor. i v A knurled knob 23 with internal screw threads a firm grip of the blade holding members on the blade. A rubber gasket 30 is vulcanized or cemented'on both sides on the fixed and movable members respectively. On one side the said rubber. gasket 30 is vulcanized orcemented to the fiat upper side parallel? toz-the:

the handle completely against penetration 0181f,

introduction of solid, liquid or gaseous matter.

On the' othensi'deeit is s t l and It therefore? form in fact a single unit, sealinglthecinterionof...

The rubber gasket must be .offsufiicient .resilie ency to permit a reciprocatingrelative movement of thestationary and movable=parts to which= it is attached. It may have any;.-desir.ed.pr.of1le-.or cross section, the rectangular cross section shown being only an example. ment of the parts,'as will be clear, is essentially cutting;edgescofzithe blades .sothatnthe flatter iareereciprocatedisubstantially in themselves. The plane in which the movement ofiieach. member occurs is atherefore-i parallel: E to the surface of the guard member or parallel to the planesxpassing throughthetwo .icemented surfaces of the gasket and these surfaces remain in .the sameplan'eiduring the reciprocating movement. The: movement -..occurs. at a rapid rate, connected; as a rulerv with-the. number oi. cycles ofntheealternatingl, current energizing, the OSC/flr.

latonyzelectricalmotor :and doesnot exceedehfllil inch. An amplitude .of'. much less. than; this value-ewouldvimpair the: slicing movementzof the blade; but the -amplitude,.. even it the resiliency oils the irubbergasket is.- disregarded; ..cannot ex-.

'ceedi-lthiswalue to a largeaextent, .asthe blade wouldeotherwise ,cut1into and-hurt the skin. A

- movementotthisv small .extent. may be ,safely taken up by the elasticity of the gasket. Itavill- 8 therefore -;be.\ clear .that the rubber. gasket serves simultaneously, asa support. for the movable blade carrying assembly holding the latter inoperative-relation,withrespect to the guardplate .andlztoethe impeller .01. .the motor, as .a very, act

curate guide, holding, the ..carrier plate,. .as well aszthe .blade, its. ownplane duringrthe. move- The direction ofi'movement. in.. which theactive; cutting parts. are I reciprocatedalongsaline which coincides with saidipartsnand as.a -perfct sealing means .for the casinglhousingthe.electric motor.

. Onaccount;of jitsl-.movement inlit's own plane the razor blade may be honed by h'oldi'ng'a stae tionaryhoning,means against the edge of ithe bladelwhileiit...is reciprocatedn p Itl'yvillIJoe clear. tem the above that the method. andemeansofaholding, the blade on the carrier plate,,- or=.the nature of the blade which .may be single .edged or. double ,edged have. no,connec-. tion withlthezinvention anddo not'limitth'eum. changed application of. the invention in any way Likewise, it will"b'e clear that other un-'- essential details maybe changed .without inany way, affecting. the invention.

Having described the invention, claimedasnew isz. I

1.; .An electric'razcr'ofthe reciprocating type ccmprisinglahandles. stationarymember on the what is samahaving, a. substantially planarv surface, a

reciprocatingyrazorrblade,.amember carryingsaid blade coextensive-withthe stationary. member, with ed geportions substantially.parallel vto..the said .planarsurface ofsthestationary member, a

' resilient memberwith tworparallel surfaoes rune statinnarycmember:andiithexlother surf ace :being I fiizedlyradhereniito'iliesreciprocatinggblade .carrys reciprocating" razor. blade, a member carrying said blade providedwith a surface parallel to and facing said planar surface of the stationary member; means.. for reciprocating said blade carrying membenand a closed ring like resilient member :fixedly attached to the two planar surfaces facing each other'rior guiding said reciprocating blade: and-carrying ;,m'emberiand: ifOI' (producing-gar complete rand v permanent seal \between said stationary, andsaid reciprocating; blade carry-ingrmember.

, 3:: Anr-elect-ric 'razor of, the reciprocating type; I

compris-ingia-hollowhandle; a stationarymember fixedaonisaidhhandle: and provided with a-lSl1b-. stantially planar surface; a reciprocating, razorblade eavimember carrying said razor bladerpro VidBdwWi-thwfi surface parallel :to; and facingesaid planar .-surface-,. amotor. providedv with a recipro eating impeller: member. projecting from lsaid handle, said impeller. member being, loosely coupledcwithwsaid razorbladecarrying member for transmitting: reciprocating motion; means for supportingiand guiding said blade .carrying mem her during, saidrreciprocating motion, saidemeans consisting in. a -resilient annular. :memberawith two. parallel: faces,-. encircling completely? the spaceibetween thesurfaces ofthe stationary/and the razor blade carrying member facing:- each otherythe. parallel r f-aces of said. annular member being-attached to the surfaces ;of' .thetwo -meme bersiacing each otherrespectively, said resilient member. guiding and supporting. the :reciprocate.

ing bladetcarrying member alongaplanesub stantially parallel-to the directionof .movement, and-sealihg -.theinterior-of the handle 4. .An .electricrazor of. the reciprocating. type comprising a hollo wuhandle', azmotor provided with an oscillatory member and. anfiimpeller member; housed.therein,..a stationary. guard plate fixedron said-handle, provided with aplanar surface, a. razorblade, a .blade..carryin.g, reciprocate ing, ,assembly including a bladecarrying member having. a, surface. parallel to and (facing; the. planansurface .of ,the. stationary member, a. .cup shaped, member .on; said blade; carrying member, enclosingtheimpeller member of the motor seas to. bercoupledlfor reciprocation onlywithlsaid impeller,. a resilient. closed annular member with two parallel surfacesgattached to the.v surfaces facingeachother. of. the stationary. and; blade carryingmember respectively, saidfannularmein-. ber..encircling completely, the space between the stationary member and. blade carrying assembly and .forming .a.support,.. and guide .for. the latter and a. sealing: means preventing ..penetration of matter into the hollow handle.

. FREDERICK: J. KENT."

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in the file *ofthis patenti UNITED STATES. PA'VIEN'I'S mac-r1 1 

